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Thursday, January 3, 2013

19 Thousand and 507 Websites Blocked in 6 Years

The book entitled “10 Years of Freedom of Speech,” and
published by IPS Foundation of Communications/Bianet, evaluates Turkey’s
freedom of speech.

The book was co-edited by Emek Çaylı ve Gülsüm Depeli and
includes contributions by Fikret İlkiz and Reporters without Borders’ Turkey
Chapter representative Erol Önderoğlu. Bullet points from the book include the
following:

-At least 489 media workers and at least 64 media
organizations were attacked over the last 10 years. Most of these attacks were
physical. At least 553 assaults against media workers and organizations were
recorded in that time period.

-3 journalists were murdered: İlyas Aktaş
(reporter for the journal Revolutionary Democracy) in 2006, Hrant Dink (editor-in-chief
of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper Agos) in 2007, and Cihan Hayırsever
(representative of the television channel Marmara) in 2009.

-Having issued bans on broadcasting to various
organizations amounting to a total of 2 thousand and 921 days in 2002 alone,
RTÜK (Radio and Television Supreme Council) shut down 29 radio stations and
television channels for a total of 870 days in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

-20 national television channels had to file
defense statements, 33 channels were given warnings, and 9 were obliged to
cease broadcasting programs in 2005. Television channel Kanaltürk was penalized
with program bans 6 times in 2007 because of the way they broadcasted electoral
politics. RTÜK issued a total of 2 thousand and 22 warnings, 262 bans on
programs, and 1 decertification of broadcasting from May 2002 until the end of
2008. Throughout the year 2011, RTÜK issued 89 penalty fines to 20 radio
stations and 480 TV channels, 383 warnings, 27 bans on programs, and one
official notice.

Prime minister opened 4 law suits

-According to the report43, one thousand and 46, 6 thousand and 131,
7 thousand and 762, 14 thousand and 737, 19 thousand and 507 sites were blocked
in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 respectively as part of the “internet
bans.”

-At least 167 journalists were detained. Among
the reasons for their detentions some stood out: “conducting interviews with
members of illegal organizations,” “propagating terrorism by publicizing views
of the leader of an illegal organization,” and “affiliation with an illegal
organization.”

-Prime Minister opened 4 law suits against media
outlets in 2004. He lost 3 of the 6 law suits that he filed against the newspapers
Cumhuriyet and Sabah, journal Leman and TV channel Kanaltürk. 7 of the 49 law
suits for libel and attack on personal rights that were filed against media
professionals were filed by the Prime Minister.

-Since 2005 approximately 40 official investigations
were launched against the [humorous] website Ekşi Sözlük, 5 percent of which
were turned into law suits.

5 Other Countries Likewise Censor

Some of the countries with the strictest internet bans are:

Syria: Majority of the bans over the use of internet have “political”
justifications. Entering the banned sites is punished by imprisonment.

China: The internet filters that are in place comprise pornography, as well
as issues such as police brutality, and the independence of Taiwan and Tibet.
The filters apply not only to domestic news outlets but also to international
ones.

Iran: The internet is fully controlled by the state. Those who breach the
censors are sentenced to prison.